Quebec murder victim told police she feared for her safety

Daphné Boudreault, 18, was found by police Wednesday around 12:30 p.m. at a residence in Mont-Saint-Hilaire with serious injuries that led to her death after being transported to hospital.

The woman’s ex-boyfriend, 22-year-old Anthony Pratte-Lops, was arrested shortly after police made the gruesome discovery.

Neighbour Lauren Gagnon said around 12 p.m. Wednesday, she saw a female police officer walking around the home before entering the basement.

When the officer came back out, she made a call and “many other police officers arrived.”

Gagnon said she saw Pratt being taken out in handcuffs shortly after, with the body following on a stretcher.

Police say a few hours before the killing, the suspect posted two videos online wishing his ex “all the misery in the world” after discovering she had cheated on him and left him.

“You can’t trust someone 100 per cent,” Pratt is heard saying.
He mentions the pair had been dating for two years, but had recently broken up.

“We fought to live together, we fought to be together,” he said.

“I hope you’ll be happy in your miserable life. I hope we never get back together.”

Quebec Public Security Minister Martin Coiteux said Thursday his thoughts were with the family of the deceased.

“I have two daughters at home who are the same age,” Coiteux said. “I can well understand how the parents, friends and family of the victim are feeling.”

The Sûreté du Québec has the “necessary resources and expertise” to investigate the murder, he said.

However, given the questions raised in the media about how police had handled the case, “it’s important, I think, that the Bureau des enquêtes indépendantes [independent police investigation unit] also examine what happened from the point of view of the role of the police.”

The BEI said in a news release Thursday it has assigned five investigators to the case, and it invited witnesses to contact the unit through its website.

Agencies/Canadajournal